Designed for Environments where Thermocouples and RTDs Fall Short

Debuting at SPIE Photonics West 2017 (January 31- February 2, 2017), Micronor (Camarillo, CA USA) and Optocon AG (Dresden, Germany) have collaborated to create the FOTEMP1-OEM-MNT; a low cost, small form factor, single channel signal conditioner that seamlessly integrates Fiber Optic Temperature Sensing into any industrial control system, medical instrumentation or other OEM design. The standard FOTEMP1-OEM-MNT controller features include a calibrated measurement range of -40°C to +300°C and built-in USB, RS232 and SPI interfaces. The product will be demonstrated at the Micronor booth 5359 North Hall.

Typical applications include monitoring temperature inside high voltage transformers and switchgear, MR imaging, semiconductor manufacturing, petrochemical plants, as well as microwave ovens and reactors used in food industry, material processing and bioengineering. The use of low loss optical fiber allows interference-free, remote temperature monitoring up to 2000 meters. Such distances are characteristic of mines, tank farms and downhole applications.

The temperature sensor’s operation is based on the inherent temperature dependency of the bandgap of the Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) semiconductor crystal. A continuous broadband light source is coupled into the sensor’s large core 200µm optical fiber which illuminates a Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) crystal mounted on the sensor’s fiber tip. GaAs absorbs wavelengths below its bandgap and the sensor reflects the wavelengths above. The transition region between the reflected and transmitted spectrum, i.e. the bandgap spectral position, corresponds to absolute temperature.

The FOTEMP1-OEM-MNT is a compact OEM interface solution with sophisticated functionality. The unit sources the broadband light to the GaAs sensor and an internal optical spectrum analyzer evaluates the reflected optical signal to determine the corresponding absolute temperature. This sensing and interrogation method allows for lower cost, greater accuracy (±0.2ºC), widest measurement range (-200°C to +300°C), and faster response compared to other fiber optic sensor techniques, including fluorescence decay and fiber Bragg gratings.

In small quantities, a complete fiber optic temperature measurement system sells for $1349, consisting of the standard FOTEMP1-OEM-MNT at $999, and a general purpose TS2-02 GaAs fiber optic temperature sensor at $350. Typical lead time is stock to 4 weeks. An Extended Calibration option extends the low-end measurement range to cryogenic levels of -200°C. OEM discounts are available for larger quantities.

About Micronor:

Since 2003, Micronor Inc. has been a pioneer of innovative Fiber Optic Kinetic Sensors for both industrial and medical applications. Products include Fiber Optic Position Sensors, Rotary Encoders, Linear Encoders, Signaling, E-Stop